Some pre-season trips to forget

Sorry I’m a little late, a bit of a sleep-in issue over here this morning. And then Dopey Dog needed to be walked and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

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Anyway, I’m looking over the list of past pre-seasons trying to figure out a best and a worst and, you know, it’s pretty hard.

I’m thinking the year they played games in Bridgeport, Conn., Grand Rapids, Mich., Moline, Ill.(it’s one of the Quad Cities, by the way) and had the game cancelled out in St. John’s might be right at the top of the list. Four bad neutral sites and a game cancelled in a city I really enjoy made 2003 pretty crappy.

It’d probably be rivaled by 1997, when we went to Springfield, Mass., Hamilton, Halifax, Hartford, Conn., and Fort Wayne, Ind.

That was eventful on two occasions: In Hartford, I believe it was, the arena is physically attached to the hotel we stayed at and I recall a long-ago beat grunt from another paper in town took the wrong stairway trying to get out and found himself locked up tightly and unable to get out. Thank goodness for cell phones and people willing to rescue lost souls.

And, for some reason, I had to spend at least one extra night in Fort Wayne (I recall it being the first game for new Pacer coach Larry Bird and that was a pretty big deal in Indiana in those days). Anyway, the so-so, bordering-on-sketchy hotel I stayed at in downtown Fort Wayne was directly across the street from the city’s Welcome Centre.

The Welcome Centre, that is, that was closed for the entire three days we stayed there. Some welcome.

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I notice the fine story in the paper edition our of paper today on the passing of Don Haskins, the legendary UTEP coach who died on Sunday.

It’s interesting that the story didn’t make huge headlines, or even minor ones, up here on Monday but anyone who’s a basketball fan at any level should know who, and what, Haskins was.

I’m sure many of you have seen Glory Road, the movie depicting Haskins’s team – with five black starters – beating the all-white Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA championship game. It’d have to be in the discussion of top basketball movies of all time.

Anyway, the significance of that game – the colour-blind Haskins just wanted players, not caring what they looked like as long as they could play and would accept tough coaching – shouldn’t be diminished.

Sure, somebody may have eventually done what Haskins did in 1966 (and it’s a shame it was that recent), but he did it first. And, really, changed the college game – and eventually the pro game – forever.

I never knew Don Haskins but he helped make the game I cover what it is.

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Stepping back in time for some return reminiscences:

Q: I've just read what do you think reactions will be to TJ when he gets back to ACC. Covering the league for so long, you probably remember some of the most emotional welcomes. Besides the returns of The One Who Shall Not Be Named to Toronto, could you make us a list of the most hostile and most approving receptions of the ex or just rival players? And maybe some anecdote about how the players reacted (amazing performances, game-winning shots, etc.)?

Toni H, Zagreb, Croatia

A: There’ve been sooooo many, I guess I’ll try

If you’re leaving He Who Shall Not Be Named out of the conversation, I think it’s probably a dead heat between Tracy McGrady and Damon Stoudamire in the Most Hostile category.

I honestly don’t remember more venom being spewed by the fans those nights, it was pretty incredible.

McGrady, bless his little heart, loved it, he milked the crowd and fed off their negative energy, which he does until this day.

Stoudamire? He was more bemused than anything, as I recall.

Portland won that night and it was all I could do not to write a lead that said:

"Just like old times, Damon Stoudamire played well and the Raptors lost.”

Others: Doug Christie detested and Antonio Davis got more boos that I think he probably deserved given what he’d done for team on the court.

And I remember a smattering of boos for Oak, which, thankfully, were drowned out by the standing ovation he got from press row. On the positive side, well, we all remember the love for Mo Pete a year ago, don’t we? All well reserved and him going out and kissing the logo on the court got the folks into even more of a frenzy.

And Jerome Williams got raucous cheers, as I recall.

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You know what we didn’t do? Pay nearly enough attention to the last week’s Hall of Fame inductions.

Hakeem Olajuwon was inducted and I cannot think of another guy with even a marginal connection to the Raptors who might be honoured like that.

Don’t envision at the moment this team that’s on the rise finding a future Hall of Famer to help put it over the top – as the early 2000s Raptors hoped would happen with The Dream – so Hakeem might be it for a very, very, very long time.

I know he was old and broken down by the time he arrived in Toronto – not to mention the issues that existed between him and then-coach Lenny Wilkens (issues no one really knew about until Olajuwon got here) – but the guy was one of the greatest big men to ever play the game.

If you get a chance to watch those vintage Rocket games from the mid-80s, do it because to see Olajuwon play in his prime was to see true greatness.

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Lots of questions like this floating around:

Q: Hey Doug - quick question we all want to know - when do single game tickets go on sale?

Doug S, Peterborough

A: I’m told “a couple of weeks” so I imagine you’re going to have to wait at least until training camp starts on Sept. 29. But as soon as we know, you will.

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Keep those cards and letters coming, folks, we’re a bit dry in the old in-box.

Comments

[Craig A]

re: Olajuwon and the hall of fame

The 1995 Western Finals made me love Olajuwon's game. I have never seen a player more thoroughly dominate an entire playoff run the way Olajuwon did that year. His play vs David Robinson was at an even higher level:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW4uXlRGAF0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYFV06e2blE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx5lSt4f4m0

[Sal Lamberti]

Hey Doug,
I'm surprised you left Alvin Williams off your list. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I do believe he had one of the biggest standing ovations a couple of years back.

Blogger's note: Actually, Alvin never played a game against the Raptors in Toronto after he was acquired in 1998. He had a 10-day contract with the Clippers in 2006-07 but was released a couple of days before they came here.

[Marc in Burlington]

Doug,

The whole thing about AD wasn't so much about how he played on the court, but rather the disparaging things he said about Canadian Culture that annoyed so many people. Granted, he took a page right out of H.W.S.N.B.N playbook and loafed his last couple of weeks here forcing the trade, but his comments about his kids learning the metric system et all were insulting to a lot of us. However, there were games that he played that Antonio Davis was the reason that a W was marked in the column. Which brings me to another point...
People will say what they will about T.J. Ford, but he too was a guy that left it on the floor most games. Take a look at his assists people, he wasn't a me first kind of guy, like Mike James (except for one stupid game where he thought he had something to prove after coming back and finding he had been supplanted as the #1 guard) To my mind TJ acted a lot like the rest of us would have, had we been told that the position we had been hired for was now going to be shared with a subordinate, who wouldn't you mind training too? TJ Ford was a guy that was happy to come here and play, unlike some of his other NBA brethren, and was given a raw deal because he was traded for a fan favourite in Charlie V. Hard to tell who's had the better career since the trade in that case isn't it?

I liked the fact that TJ had a bit of 'tude about losing his job. I liked the fact that he worked hard to get back on the floor. I liked the fact he wanted to play here. I also liked the fact that Jose picked up his game too, and challenged TJ. In the end the efforts of both of these players resulted in our GM to have the option to move a "small for a big" and change the identity of this team.

I wish TJ Ford well in his career and hope he plays to the best of his ability every night. Every night except the nights against the Raptors that is...

[Vincent Lam]

I loved Olajuwon. I think he was the best centre of his generation. He bested Patrick Ewing, Shaq, and David Robinson in the playoffs. He was a great scorer, passer out of the double team, shot blocker and defensive stud. As big a Raptors fan as I am, I don't think he should have ever left Houston.

But since he was a backup as a Raptor, does that mean Eric Montross deserves to be in the Hall of Fame too?

[GM]

Did Olajuwon's issues with Wilkins predate their time together in Toronto? What were they?

Do you always travel with the team during the preseason. If I'm not mistaken, many papers don't even send their beat guys to road exhibition games -- they just get a stringer from that city to do the game story. The season is long enough as it is. You don't need to be doing that. Tell your bosses to give you a break.

Blogger's note: The "issues," I'm told, first surfaced when they were coach-player in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics; and, believe me, not travelling to pre-season games would be fine with me; in fact, I believe I'm out of the back-to-back in LA and the game in Edmonton this year to get ready for the long season.

[JM]

Watching some of these videos brought back the memories - Hakeem was a legend.

[ugly_fish]

I love VINCE CARTER! Give the man the respect he deserves...none of this "He shall who not be named" BS. He put Toronto on the map; he was electric. We might be the Tenessee Raptors if it wasn't for Carter. I miss VC in the purple and black and how every game it was a sure-fire highlight reel. Remember when TNT and NBC actually cared about the Raptors??? Jesus all of US Raptor fans have been blinded and forgot how much BETTER things were when Vince was here during his early run as a dino. The Raptors will never have anyone as talented as Vin-Sanity ever again. Chris Bosh is an All-Star but I emphasize that he will never be a SUPERSTAR from a talent or marketing standpoint. I can't believe Babcock traded Air Canada for a bag of beans and all you foolish media homers preached the "addition by subtraction" argument. Are you kidding? This man averages 25 5 5 and can get 50 on any given night. He smoked us in the 07 playoffs and he avgd 21 6 5 this past season on ONE ankle.
Do you blame Vince for wanting to leave???? I mean our freaking GM was Rob Babcock!!! And dont get me wrong; but Sam Mitchell isnt the greatest coach in the world; I mean how do you bench BOTH Vince Carter AND Jalen Rose in a close 4th Q against the Jazz?
If anything...it's the Raptor organization; specifically Richard Peddie who wronged Vince. If anything we should hate Peddie for hiring Babcock. Vince is the franchise player and during the 04-05 campaign you advertise mo-pete, jalen rose, CB4 and....Rafer Alston???? No Vince posters??? VC is the most marketbale player in the Canada AND U.S. no wonder he felt direspected after all he's done.
I wanna see the Raps get another player that can go toe-to-toe with a in his prime MVP Allen Iverson for 50 points.
The point is...the organization spat in Vince's face and somehow turned Toronto against him when Vince did what any sensible person would have done. So with that; I beg Vince to come back and I wish I could let him know that WE were the ones who were wrong and to come back to Toronto where he belongs.

[Justin]

Maybe you're dry in the inbox because it takes you so long to approve the comments

Blogger's note: I'm not sure what one has to do with the other and, quite frankly, with a couple of weeks of vacation from the real job, I don't have this machine on eight or 10 hours a day. But thanks for the suggestion.

[petro]

Doug... I've been telling people about Dick Vitale's Hall of Fame Induction speech... especially my friends who are first generation Canadians. Problem is, I can't find it anywhere (youtube only has 6 minutes of it). Did you see his speech, if so what did you think, and any leads on where I can find the full speech?

Blogger's note: I'd sure try ESPN.com, or even the Hall of Fame site itself

[Nick M]

First off, well put by Marc in Burlington.

For the person looking for the Dick Vitale Speech I watched it at:
http://broadband.nba.com/cc/playa.php?content=video&url=http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/nbacom/hof/hof_speech_vitale.asx&rss=true&siteid=rss

If that doesn't work go to www.truveo.com and search Dick Vitale; pick the video titled 'Hall of Fame Speech: Dick Vitale' from NBA.com I found this to be the only one that showed the whole speech. Trust me, it is worth every minute.

[Justin]

If you approve comments faster people can read them and they create discussion and thus more comments.

Blogger's note:Thanks for helping me set up my work days.

[Tabber]

Maybe Justin's looking for a job? If those are the only sort of comments, I'm surprised you approve them at all. And gotta love the revisionist histories on VC, TJ and AD. But I've noticed I watch games differently than most people, and millionaires slacking off tend to piss me off big time, and all three of those guys had their times of slacking off AND looking bored.